Abari's Dedication

[ThatGuy]

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*Skillful Wield
D-Ranked Taijutsu
Prerequisite: 3 wit
With a solid foundation of knowledge on their choice of weaponry, those with the Skillful Wield technique are able to utilize their weapon more fully. By knowing the weapon's weakest points, the user is able to avoid presenting these areas to damage during combat, thus making their weapon less likely to break by means of recklessness.

After training for a long time with his katana Abari started to notice that some parts of his blade were more fragile than the other. He went into his families library to look into this. In the library was a book that analyzed katanas. The book showed a few possible weak points of the katana but Abari wanted to test this out for himself in training. You can't believe everything you read in a book. Abari set up a few dummies with spare katanas he found in his house (which were likely family heirlooms but he was willing to take that chance for his training). The first course of action was to strike with the supposed weak points. Sure enough on contact with the opposing katana his received a small chip. It was time to check the other supposed weak spots. Abari spent a few hours hacking at the dummy's katana alternating between using the strong parts of the blade and the weak points. The other weak points on the katana did not seem to be as fragile as the first one he tested but nonetheless they wore away faster than the strong parts of the blade. However with night soon approaching Abari decided to call it a day and packed up. Abari returned the next day to resume the training but this time he had his father buy him a new katana to use. This time around Abari was going to strike the weak points on another katana. He set up the new katana and the old ones on dummies. Striking the older katanas first Abari quickly realized that these weak points could be crucial in a fight. After an hour of striking at the older katana Abari ended up breaking one by striking it in one of its weak spots. This surprised him because he was by no means strong enough to break a katana but by striking at it's weak points he was able to break it. He took note of the possibility of his katana breaking and how he should not present the opportunity for the opponent to strike a weak spot on his katana. Though it was not yet time for him to end his sword training Abari packed it up for the day and went home. When Abari returned the next day he decided it was time to memorize the weak points. Though he had been hitting at them for the last couple of days he had to consult the book on them then after that marks were already made so he knew where to strike. Abari set up just one dummy this time holding the new katana. Spending time to memorize the weak points as described in the book Abari finally gave it a shot. He swung with all his might at what he thought would be a weak point and sure enough he hit the target. The second swing also hit it's mark. So did the third and fourth. Turns out that all that time spend striking weak points really paid off. Not only did he hit the opposing katana's weak points but he also avoided striking with the weak points on his katana. Abari spent the rest of the day doing his normal sword training drills then headed home. The next day he returned with a sparring partner. The last training method on the list was to test everything he had just learned but in combat. He instructed his sparring partner to be on the offensive while he would be on the defensive. The sparring partner came at Abari full force and much to Abari's suprise he was able to block the attacks and avoid the weak spots on his blade despite the high speed of combat. Abari then called for a change in roles with him being on the offensive and his sparring partner on the defensive. Same thing happened when Abari took the offensive. He avoided striking with his katana's weak points despite the high speed of combat. After a while of switching between roles Abari thanked his partner and headed home. Happy that he now knew more about swordsmanship and proud of himself for catching on so quickly.

Word count: 704

[ThatGuy]

Stat training #1: Speed


"You want to overcome all before you and claim your spot among the greatest. But will you seize your chance?" Ryoga's words affected Abari much more than normal today. It had been a while since he spoke with the overseer of the seven swordsman. Ryoga had shown him what a true swordsman was capable of. Abari wanted to reach that level of mastery. No he wanted to surpass that level of mastery. While thinking about what made Ryoga a great swordsman an image popped into his head. It was of Ryoga cutting a dummies head off without his sword leaving the sheath. Well at least that is what it looked like. Ryoga was so fast that he was able to unsheath his sword and chop the dummies head of and then resheath it without Abari ever seeing the blade. His speed that was what made Ryoga a great swordsman. It was time for Abari to play catch up so instead of sword training for the day Abari would work on his speed. The first order of business was to strengthen up his leg muscles. He found some leg weights in his house which were perfect for the occasion. Abari put them on and mapped out a route for him to run. Making sure that there were plenty of hills and the end result was his training ground. Running the route was hell. It would be hard enough without the leg weights but at the same time there would be no improvement without struggle. Running up the hills took a lot out of Abari and running downhill did not provide any respite. The thought of catching up to Ryoga kept him going. Screaming as he ran up the last hill Abari pushed with everything he had. After reaching the bottom of the hill Abari arrived at his normal training ground. Upon arrival he dropped on the ground and rested. He had never pushed his muscles so hard in his life. But this is what it was going to take if he wanted to improve. I can't get by on technique alone. I am going to have to push my body to it's limits as many times as it takes. Gasping for air Abari began to stand up. The second he put weight on his legs they gave out and he fell back on the ground. Shit. This isn't good. He was far from home and his legs didn't want to move. Anyone could come by and rob him if they pleased or even worse they could kill him. If his legs did not recover soon he would be stuck out here for the rest of the night.Taking off the leg weights he tried again but to no avail. A few hours had passed and Abari's legs were still not moving. "ARRRRGH!" He began to scream and hit his legs. "Work damnit! WORK!" Despite Abari's efforts his legs would not comply. The sun was setting and soon it would be nightfall. Fear overcame Abari as he laid there in the cold fog. With fog this thick once night comes it will be impossible to see him. Just as he had given up hope Abari heard a familiar voice from behind him. "In all my days I have never met anyone as foolish as my own son." Looking up he saw that it was his mother. "Did you ever stop and think before you started running?" She picked him up and slung him over her shoulder. "You are lucky I know you well enough that I could tell you were going to end up like this." Neither of them said a word on the walk home and neither of them told his father about the incident. Abari had gotten too ambitious and didn't use his head. For the next week Abari ran the course without the leg weights. He didn't allow the swordsman's words to cloud his judgement. As much as he wanted to improve he would gain nothing if he didn't use his head. Physical condition has never been my thing. I have always been weak which is why I always have to use my head. I am not the kind of person who can break limits with pure effort. Abari ran the same course everyday for the next few weeks. Still motivated by the swordsman's words but not enough so that he makes any stupid decisions. Once he felt his legs were sufficiently trained he put on the leg weights once again. Running the course this time around was much easier in fact Abari ran the full course without his legs giving out this time. Rather then take the leg weights off after he finished his running Abari decided to keep them on. He went through all of his daily activities with his leg weights on. Abari didn't even take them off to sleep. For the next two weeks Abari kept the leg weights on while still running his course every day. When it came time for him finally to take them off Abari could immediately feel the difference. Abari ran the course at a much faster pace. What was previously strenuous was now a cake walk. He felt light as a feather and the course that once rendered him unable to walk from exhaustion was now a light run. Abari finished his course in less then half the time it had taken him in the past. Upon finishing his course Abari began to talk to himself. "I'll surpass you Ryoga! But rather than following in your footsteps I will shape my own path! I will become a better swordsman in my own way!" Embarrassed Abari quickly looked around to make sure no one heard him. Thankfully no one had and Abari returned home. His mother was there to greet him this time. "See what happens when you use your head? Foolish bravado gets you nowhere. Remember Abari-" She was cut off by the bright eyed genin "The mind is more powerful then any jutsu. These past few months have helped me better understand that saying." With that Abari ran to the training ground to continue improving his sword arm. It was best to keep training while he felt so accomplished.

Word Count: 1040

[ThatGuy]

Stat training #2: Strength


This was Abari's first day in his new dojo. He was sent by his family to train after he was attacked in the slums. They managed to get permission from the village to send Abari away for a year while he trained in Iaido. Abari was excited to learn the style that Ryoga used. He had already managed to figure out how to draw his sword like an Iaido user. It took months of remembering Ryoga's attack and trying to replicate it but he eventually learned it. His welcome however killed any excitement he had. Upon arrival Abari noticed there was no one to greet him. Hearing noise coming from the dojo Abari poked his head in really quick. There was about 8 other people in the dojo. All were older than Abari. One of the students had to have been in their twenties. Every student was doing a different section of training. It looked like utter chaos. A disgruntled old man greeted Abari.

"Ugh. We got another one do we. You are far too young to be training Iaido boy come back when you are a bit bigger."

This irked Abari. He had just spent days traveling to the Tea country to find this dojo and this guy wanted to just dismiss him like that.

"With all due respect sir I did not travel from Kirigakure to be dismissed so easily."

Abari displayed a quick flash of Iaido quickly drawing and re-sheathing his sword.

"I have the core down I just need you to guide me."

The old man laughed and turned to the twenty something year old student.

"See that Kai? This child is already farther than you in the ways of Iaido and he hasn't even been properly trained!"

"Shut it old man!"

"Do not think being better than that useless man over there makes you worthy to train in the ways of Iaido though. Come here let me see if you are worth dealing with."

The old man inspected Abari. Lifting Abari's arm and rolling up his sleeves the old man let out an irritated sigh.

"It's a miracle you can even lift that sword boy! You got no muscle on you at all!"

The old man gestured Abari to follow him and led Abari to the corner of the dojo. Signalling him to wait the old man left and brought back a bucket of water and set it in front of Abari.

"Slap the water."

"Slap it?"

"Yes boy don't make me repeat myself. Slap it like this and then when the bucket starts to get empty refill it. Be sure to alternate hands."

The old man lifted his hand and slapped the water showing Abari the proper technique. This brings Abari to where he is now. Slapping the water and refilling the bucket. Abari had been at it for around 4 hours already. The day was winding down and Abari was escorted to his new bed. He was woken up at the crack of dawn to continue training. When Abari asked what was on the training regimen the master asked if he was daft and told him to go slap water like he did yesterday and he would be told when to stop. Abari did this for ten hours straight before the master allowed him a break. Much to Abari's dismay he had to repeat this process for the first week. His arms screamed at him as he slapped the water. This exercise forced Abari to use muscles that he had never trained. The only respite he got was when he carried the nearly empty buckets to go fill them with water. His hands stung from constantly hitting the water. They were bright red and hot to the touch. When the master wasn't looking Abari would dip his hands into the bucket to cool them off. His kimono was completely drenched. After a week of this Abari finally built up the courage to ask his sensei when his really training would begin.

"Sensei you have had me slapping water for a week now. When do I start Iaido training?"

"You dare question me boy? Do that again and I will have no qualms sending you back to Kirigakure! You will start Iaido training when I say you are ready. Now do as I say and continue slapping the water!"

All of the other students snickered as Abari made the walk of shame to the corner in which he had the bucket. Abari continued slapping water for another week. His arms were numb. The only time he felt pain in them was when he would slap the water. Anytime before or after it they went back to being numb. This was a good thing because Abari's arms were no longer sore and stiff. He had built up a pain resistance to slapping the water. The stinging and burning were something Abari could shrug off now. Carrying the full buckets back to the dojo was no longer a chore. In fact Abari could already feel how much lighter they were than when he first started training. Everything became much more tolerable as the days went by. At the end of the second week Abari was approached by his new sensei.

"Draw your sword boy."

Abari released his sword from it's sheath normally.

"WHAT DOJO ARE YOU IN BOY? DO IT RIGHT!"

Embarrassed Abari rushed to re-sheath his sword and had a bit of trouble doing so. There was silence in the dojo as the old man screamed but it was followed with laughter. Abari let the sword loose from his it's sheath with lightning speed. He could already feel the difference in effort. Before it took a lot out of Abari to perform this technique but after his training it took much less out of Abari.

"Now let's work on that sloppy technique. Today marks the beginning of your training."

Word Count: 1010

[ThatGuy]

Stat training #3: Control

Social training with Hideki Hirohito

[ThatGuy]

Stat training #4: Control

After the unfortunate incident at the hospital a couple weeks before Abari decided to continue working on his control. At this point his Iijutsu was mediocre at best. This was mainly due to the instability of his chakra when performing the techniques. He needed to get that in control before furthering his knowledge of medical jutsu. The training regimen for the day was going to be hell. Abari arrived at his training site for the day. A small pond that at it's deepest parts reached ten feet. Walking to the deepest part of the pond with his water walking technique he learned in the academy Abari drew his sword. With a few quick breaths to build up confidence Abari cut his leg fairly deep. Nothing that would render him unable to walk but it would hurt to do anything with the leg. It was time to get down to business. Abari channeled chakra into his hands and began to perform the blood clot technique on his wound. For a little bit it went smooth but partway through the technique Abari began to notice the fluctuation grow almost out of control. It took a great deal of concentration for Abari to keep the technique going. Though with his focus fully on the jutsu Abari's foot fell in the water. The shock caused him to drop the blood clot technique and regain his balance and bring his foot back above water. That was no good. Channeling chakra into his hands once again Abari started up the blood clot technique once again. Channeling chakra into four different parts of the body proved difficult to maintain. Maybe Abari bit off a little more than he could chew. That was the whole point of the training however, the difficulty. This time Abari focused more on his feet than his hands. Staying above water was crucial to keep the jutsu going. If he fell underwater the jutsu would break just like last time. It was going great for a while. Abari was staying above water with little to no effort until he realized that he had stopped doing his Iijutsu all together. With a sigh Abari channeled chakra into his hands one more time and began to clot the blood. It took the complete focus of his mind to balance the two jutsu. Abari was just a few steps away from being blot out from the world entirely. After a good while in this state the blood was sufficiently clot and Abari was sufficiently dry. A success but the training was not over yet. Next on the agenda was sewing up the wound with chakra stitching. Performing a short set of hand seals Abari took his finger and touched the base of his cut with it. Lifting his finger up he touched the other side of the wound creating a stitch. He continued this process until he sewed up the entire cut. Abari found this jutsu much easier to perform in conjunction with the water walking technique. It was likely the fact that he simply had to perform hand seals and sew up the wound rather than channel chakra into his hands and coagulate the blood. There wasn't a constant flow in this jutsu and it took much less time to perform. Standing on the water Abari waited out the chakra stitching. Eventually it would dissipate and after that Abari would perform it another time. While waiting for the stitching to dissipate Abari began to feel fatigued. He had been pouting too much chaka into his water walking technique. Reducing his chakra output to a minimum Abari tried to take the time to relax however a certain bird would not let that happen. It would not stop threatening Abari and flying in his face. Not only did it make Abari loose his balance but it also caused his chakra to fluctuate. Normally a situation like this would not affect a shinobi but Abari had already wasted a good amount of his chakra. Regaining his balance Abari focused on the water walking technique again. The bird screamed at him but Abari did his best to ignore it. For the first minute or so Abari would pour too much chakra every time the bird made a noise due to irritation. Soon he had total control over the jutsu and that damn bird could do nothing about it. In fact this time when it flew towards him and tried to attack him he gave it a good whack and send it flying away. There were probably other ways to handle that situation but Abari was pissed off. Not long after the bird incident the chakra stitches wore off. At this point Abari was breathing heavily from the fatigue. He was ready to drop and sink into the water at any moment. Now was not the time to rest however. Abari performed a short set of hand seals and touched his finger to the base of his cut yet again. He almost fell over when bending down to the cut. Abari was about to drop the jutsu and sink into the water at any moment. Dropping down his chakra output to the bare minimum Abari put full concentration into the water walking technique. As he stitched up the cut he struggled to keep himself on top of the water. If he put too much chakra into the jutsu then he would run out of chakra and fall in the water. If he let it drop anymore the jutsu would end and the same result would happen. Abari had prolonged the water walking technique just long enough to finish the stitching. Immediately after putting the last stitch in his leg he let go of the jutsu and fell into the water. The cold embrace was quite relaxing. Abari decided to just float in the pond for a bit to recover. This training was both mentally and physically taxing but he got the desired results. He was able to exert much more control over his chakra than before.

Word Count: 1007

[ThatGuy]

Stat training #5: Genjutsu

Social training with Kiyo

[ThatGuy]

Stat training #6: Genjutsu

Social training with Kiyo

[ThatGuy]

Stat training #7: Stamina

Training in lonely thread

[ThatGuy]

Stat training #8: Strength

(Used a free word count coupon because I'm a filthy cheater)